Thin place detector for looms



Aug. 26, A H M I THIN PLACE DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Filed April 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l Arfhur 5. Thomas 81 1947- A. s. THOMAS I THIN PLACE DETECTOR FOR LOOKS Filed April 8, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Ar/bur 5. Thomas Patented Aug. 26, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THIN PLACE DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Arthur S. Thomas, Nashville, Tenn.

Application April 8, 1946, Serial No. 660,395 I 10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a thin place detector in cloth being Woven on a loom. In a weaving operation in a loom, as the shuttle is thrown back and forth as sheds are formed in the warp threads, it sometimes happens that the shuttle wi11 be passed across the shed with no fillin thread being left by the shuttle as it travels across the loom; thus, resulting in thin places in the fabric being woven, because as the lay beats up a predetermined amount each time, if there are no filling threads present for a pick or two, then there will be a thin place in the cloth which should be detected and the cause remedied and the cloth severed and a new cloth roll started to remove the defective piece of cloth.

I am aware that heretofore various types of thin place detectors have been provided, practically all of them being of the mechanical type wherein certain pointed instruments would pass through the thin places in the cloth to actuate a train of mechanisms to stop the loom.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electrical thin place detector for looms wherein, when a thin place occurs, a circuit will be established between a metallic plate disposed above the cloth and a feeling finger disposed below the cloth thus to complete a circuit to energize a magnet to cause the shipper lever to be knocked oil to stop the loom and, at the same time, another magnet may be energized, if desired, to operate a conventional counter to indicate the number of times a loom has been stopped on account of thin places within a given period. I

It is another object of this invention to provide a circuit in a loom with a contact in one portion of the circuit being disposed above the cloth being woven and another contact disposed below the cloth, so that in the event of a thin place being present in the cloth, the two contacts will engage each other, thus, to energize a magnet to cause a member to be disposed in the path of the bunter on the lay of the loom, to automatically unlock the shipper lever and allow it to move to stopping position on the loom under the impulse of a conventional spring for moving the shipper lever to stopping position.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end'of the loom, showing parts broken away;

Figure 2 is an elevation of one side of one end of the loom taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view with parts in elevation and taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral l0 indicates a loom frame, there being a similar frame on the other side of the loom, not shown. This frame has a breast beam l l spanning the distance between the two frames, and in the upper right hand portion of the frame in Figure 1 is rotatably mounted a roller l2 over which the cloth [3 passes on its travel to the conventional takeup roll and cloth roll not shown. This loom also has a rocker shaft l4 on which swords l5 are oscillatably mounted, said swords having mounted on the upper end thereof a loom lay IS, the lay l6 having a conventional bunter l6a secured thereon. At each end of this lay is disposed a shuttle box H.

The loom also has a plurality of harness frames 18 for forming a shed l9 in warp threads 20 and through which shed IS a shuttle is projected from one side to the other to weave cloth.

Th loom is also equipped with a conventional shipper lever 22 pivoted in any conventional manner as at 23 and having its upper ends mounted in a suitable slotted lock member 24, which has a projection 25 for holding the shipper lever in running position as shown in full lines in Figure 2. This shipper lever controls suitable knockoff mechanism for stopping the loom when the shipper lever is moved to dotted line position in Figure 2.

There is also conventional means for knocking this shipper lever to off position which comprises a dagger lever 26 pivoted as at 21 and having an outwardly turned lug 28 resting behind the shipper lever 22.

The mechanism thus far described is conventional, and it is with this conventional mechanism on the loom that my thin place detector mechanism is adapted to cooperate. From the point 30 to the right in Figure 1, the filling threads have been beaten up to form the cloth. I provide a bracket 3| having one end secured to the breast beam I I of the loom and having a metallic plate 32 secured on its other end whereby the plate 32, bracket 3|, and breast beam H are all grounded to the frame of the loom. Below the bracket 31 and plate 32 and on the lower side of the cloth I3, I provide a bracket 34, which may be a pipe welded to the frame of the loom, and in this pipe 34 I secure by means of a set screw 35, a shank 36 of a plate 37 having screws 38 penetrating the same and threadably embedded in an insulating plate All. Insulating plate 40 has mounted on top of the same a metallic member such as a pipe 4| which has secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as being wound therearound, a plurality of wires 42. This member 4| is secured to the insulating plate by means of a pair of bolts 53 and 54. Each of the wires projects upwardly and has a slight point as at 55 and then projects downwardly and is reversely bent into a portion 46 so that the point 45 will ride against the cloth l3 and press it against the plate -32, the wires '42 being of spring steel to cause them to press upwardly at all times against the cloth f3.

The bolt 44 secures one end of a wire 55 which is connected to one side of a solenoid l I supported at Ha and a wire 55 leads from the solenoid TI to one side of a switch 5|, which has a lever 52 connected by a spring 53 to the shipper lever 22. Another spring 53a, is'corinected to the lower end of the shipper lever and to the loom frame for moving the shipper lever to oif position, when the stop-motion-mechanisms are operated.

Fromthe'oth'er side of -switch5l, there is a'wire 88, which leads to one side of a battery 18, and

.awire T9 leadsfrom the other ide of the battery and is-grounded to the loom frame. A branch wire 13 leads from wire 55'to alever 12-of'the-magnet, which is the armature lever andthis lever 12 has also connected thereto a line 1 which is connected tolever "I5 of'a'counter 1 5. This wire '13 'is electrically connec'ted to the armature arm 12., so that when it is raise'd'it touches a contact memberFS-I to which is-connected-a wire Ella, which in turn is connectedto wire 10. The wire 55 has abrandh-wiret55a, which isconnected to one'side of .a magnet 51, and wire ll! -'is connected to the otherside'of magnet 55, and leads to :the outer 'trough'shaped conductor bar fit'of a conventional electrical stop-motion bar, avhich is insulated, as 'at .84, from :axcon'clucting bar 85, which "bar is grou'neddby'a :wire 86 to theloom frame. This warp stop-motion 'hasa plurality of drop wires 81 mounted thereon, through which the warp threads 25 :pass and operate in a conventional manner. The "magnet 151 has a pivoted armature lever -58*pivoted,'as at 58a, and pivotally connected, asat 59, toa rodflifl, which bymeansof connection152 is'co'nnected to awire-fil Whichis pivotallyiconnectedtto aidag'gerzfi l, whichsis pivoted o'n'th'e'knock ofi lever25, as at 65.

The magnet housing-is supporte'cliby a suitable bracket 56a. The switch 5| is supported by a suitable bracket 5|a.

Method of operation 'While the loom is weaving and forming the clothby beating up of filling threads thrown across through the shed l9, perfect cloth is'formed and points '45 of fingers 42 will be held out of contact with plate 32 on account of the fact that the cloth will be disposed'between points 45 of wires 42 and the plate 32. When filling fails to be thrown-across the shed anda thin place is thus made in the cloth, and when this thin place reaches the point where it passes between the wires 42 and the plate 32,-one'or more of the fingers 4'2 makes contact with plate 32 and a circuit is established through wire'55, magnet wire 13, contact 8|, wire a, wire 1|],through magnet5'L-through wire 55 and through'switch 5|, which is closed'and throughwireSfl,"battery l8,-'and'ground wire 19 to'complete'the circuit.

This will operate both the stopping magnet and the counter magnet, and will cause the pivoted dagger 64 to be lifted to where bunter |6a will strike it and operate the throw-off lever 25 to relieve the shipper lever to stop the loom. This will also give a count of the number of times a thin place has occurred in the cloth.

Now, let us assume that a thin place i not present in the cloth, but a warp thread breaks, which will allow one of the drop wires 5'3 to fall, which will close a circuit between the bars 83 and 85, and a circuit will flow through wire 86, bar '85, one of the drop wires Bl, outer bar 83, wire 10, magnet 51, wire 55, through switch 5|, wire 80, battery 18, wire 19 to the ground to complete the circuit, which will stop the loom, but will not operate the counter magnet ll.

It is thus seen that I have provided an electrical stop-motion associated with both the drop wire stop-motions and with the dagger of the loom, whereby when either a thin place occurs or a warped thread breaks, the loom will be stopped and a counteris-provided, which will be actuated only when a thin place occurs in the cloth.

in the drawings and specification there has been setforth a 'preferred'einbo'diment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, theyare usedin a-generic and descriptive sense-only, and not for purposesof limitation, the scopeof-the invention being defined-in the claims.

I claim: I

1. In a-thin place detector for looms, a metallic plate mounted on one side'of the cloth, a plurality of spring pressed fingers mounted on the other side of-the cloth and being held'out of contact with the plate by the passage of cloth there- 'between, butbeing adapted to'contact the plate when a thin place occurs-in the cloth, a circuit leading from the spring pressed fingers, a pair of magnets in saidcircuit, one of the magnets when energized operating a counter mechanism and the other mag'net when energized, moving a dagger, said loom having a layer provided with a bunter which isadapted to engage the dagger whenmoved by'its-associated magnet to move the shipper lever fr'om operating'position, and spring meansformoving thesh ipper lever when released to non-operating position to stop the loom.

-2. In a loom for weaving-cloth and having an oscillating lay equipped with a hunter, a shipper lever and means for holding-the shipper lever in operating position tocause the loom to operate, said loom having a dagger-lever associated with the shipper lever and which,'wh'en moved, being adapted to moveithe; shipper lever, spring means for'moving the shipper lever to inoperative position when released, said dagger lever having a dagger 'thereon, normally out of the path of the swinging hunter, a pair of electrical contactmembersbetween which the cloth is adapted to pass after being woven, electrical means for moving the dagger on the dagger lever to engage the hunter, a counter mounted on the loom'and'electrical means for-moving the counter, a'circuit leading from the two electrical contact members through the two magnets so that when a thin place occurs in the cloth and, the electrical contact 'mernbers'areallowed to contact each other, a circuit will-be closed'through'the magnets'to move the dagger-into the path .ot'the bunter to cause the daggerlever'to move the shipper leverfrom its operative ,positive, a spring formoving the shipper lever to inoperative position when released, and a switch'in said electrical circuit, and means connecting the switch to the shipper lever for opening the switch when the shipper lever moves to inoperative position.

3. In a loom for weaving cloth, an electrical contact member disposed on one side of the cloth andta-second electrical contact member disposed on the other side ofthe cloth and normally pressed. into. contact with the cloth, a source of electrical energy connected to the two electrical contact members, means operable upon the two contact members engaging each other when a thin place occurs in the cloth for automatically stopping the loom, and means for breaking the circuit when the loom is stopped.

4. In a loom.f-or"weaving cloth and having a shipper lever, a dagger lever, a dagger, and a bunter disposed on the lay of the 100m, means for holding the shipper lever in operative position, electrical contact members disposed on opposed sides of the cloth and normally pressing against the cloth, an electrical circuit having its two sides connected to the two electrical contact members, and said electrical contact members being adapted to contact each other when a thin place occurs in the cloth being woven, and electrical means for moving the dagger into the path of the bunter for moving the dagger lever to unlock the shipper lever to stop the loom when the two electrical contact members are allowed to contact each other due to a thin place in the cloth.

- 5. In a loom for weaving cloth and having a shipper lever, a dagger lever, a dagger, and a bunter disposed on the lay of the loom, means for holding the shipper lever in operative position, electrical contact members disposed on opposed sides of the cloth and normally pressing against the cloth, an electrical circuit having its two sides connected to the two electrical contact members, and said electrical contact members being adapted to contact each other when a thin place occurs in the cloth being woven, electrical means for moving the dagger into the path of the bunter for moving the dagger lever to unlock the shipper lever to stop the loom when the two electrical contact members are allowed to contact each other due to a thin place in the cloth, and a switch in the circuit and connected to the shipper lever and whereby the switch will be moved to open position when the shipper lever moves to inoperative position.

6. In a loom for weaving cloth and having a shipper lever, a dagger lever, a dagger, and a bunter disposed on the lay of the loom, means for holding the shipper lever in operative position, electrical contact members disposed on opposed sides of the cloth and normally pressing against the cloth, an electrical circuit having its two sides connected to the two electrical contact members, and said electrical contact members being adapted to contact each other when a, thin place occurs in the cloth being woven, electrical means for moving the dagger into the path of the bunter for moving the dagger lever to unlock the shipper lever to stop the loom when the two electrical contact members are allowed to contact each other due to a thin place in the cloth, and a switch in the circuit and connected tothe shipper lever and whereby the switch will be moved to open position when the shipper lever moves to inoperative position, a counter mounted on the loom and other electrical means operable when the circuit is closed due to the two electrical contact members touching each other for moving the counter to register one stopping of the loom.

7. In a loom having a lay with a bunter thereon and having a knock-off lever with a dagger pivoted thereon and having a shipper lever with spring means normally urging it; to knock-off position, a magnet, having connection with the dagger for raising the same into the Path of the bunter, a switch connected to the shipper lever and being in closed position, when the shipper lever is in running position, said magnet having an armature and in connection between the armature and the pivoted dagger for moving it intothe path of the bunter when the magnet is energized, a second magnet having an armature, a counter mechanism and a connection between the counter magnet and the countermechanism for operating the same when the counter magnet is energized, a warp stop-motion having a plurality of drop wires, which when allowed to fall to lowest position by the parting of a warp thread are adapted to close a circuit, a plurality of spring pressed fingers mounted on the lower side of the cloth and adapted to press against the cloth, a plate mounted above the cloth and grounded to the loom frame, a circuit leading from the fingers to the counter magnet, a circuit leading from the counter magnet through one side of the dagger operating magnet, a circuit leading from the other side of the dagger operating magnet to the switch and a circuit leading from one side of the stop-motion mechanism to the frame of the loom, and a circuit leading from the other side of the stop-motion drop wire mechanism to the other side of the dagger operating magnet, whereby when a thin place occurs in the cloth, the first magnet will be energized to move the dagger into the path of the bunter to stop the loom and to operate the second magnet to actuate the counter mechanism, and when a drop wire falls the circuit will be passed through the dagger operating magnet to stop the loom, but will not be passed through the counter actuating magnet to actuate the counter.

8. In a loom having a lay provided with a bunter and having a knock-off lever provided with a dagger, and having a shipper lever adapted to be moved to knock-ofi position by actuation of the knock-off lever, a switch having one of its sides disposed below the cloth being woven by the loom and the other side disposed above the cloth and adapted to be closed by a thin place appearing in the cloth, a counter mechanism and a magnet for actuating the counter mechanism, a dagger operating magnet and a connection between the magnet and the dagger for raising the dagger, when the dagger magnet is energized, a switch adapted to be held in closed position by the shipper lever, when it is in running position, and electrical stop-motion mechanism having a plurality of drop wires thereon, and having a pair of insulated conducting bars, one of said bars being grounded to the loom and the other of said bars having a circuit connected thereto and also connected to the dagger operating magnet, a wire leading from the switch associated with the cloth to one side of the counter operating magnet, a wire leadingfrom the other side of the counter operating magnet to the armature of the counter operating magnet, a contact member adapted to be engaged by the counter magnet armature when it is energized, a circuit leading from said contact to one side of the dagger operating magnet, a circuit leading from the other side of the dagger operating magnet to said switch and a circuit leading from said switch to a source of energy, and a connection between said source'- ofenerg-y and the frame of the loom; a circuit leading from one side of the counter operating magnet to one side of the dagger operating magnet, whereby when a thinp-lace occurs in the cloth to close a switch associated with the cloth, the counter operating magnet will be actuated to operate the counter and the dagger operating magnet will be actuated to actuate the dagger to move it into the path of the hunter to stop the loom, and when a warp thread is dropped, a circuit will be established between the electrical warp stop-motion mechanis'iri-and the dagger operating magnet to stop the loom.

9. In a loom having an electrical warp stopmotion and a switch between which the cloth passesafte'r being woven, means operable as said switch becomes closed due to a thin place in the cloth for stopping the loom and means actuated by the closing of said switch for keeping a record of the number of times the 100m has been stopped, due to a thin place in the cloth and means for also stopping the loom when the electrical warp 8 stop-motion is: actuated, due to a parting of a warp.

10. In a 100m having an electrical. warp stopmotion'and having a switch between whose two contacts clothafte'r being woven is passed, means operable by closing of the switch as a result of a thin place in the cloth passing between the two contacts of said switch for stopping the loom, said means for stopping the loom also being operable by the closing of the circuit in the electrical stopmotion. I

ARTHUR S. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 895,591 Stewart Aug. 11, 1908 1,368,489 Crumley Feb. 15, 1921 1,784,446 Jennings Dec. 9, 1930' Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,426,570. August 26, 1947.

ARTHUR S. THOMAS It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 4, line 43, claim 1, for the Word layer read lay; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this coirfi'rection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent 0 ce.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of October, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner 0 f Patents. 

